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O's roster will 'err on the side of pitching'

O's roster will 'err on the side of pitching'

ARLINGTON -- The Orioles have to set their 25-man American League Wild Card roster by Friday at 10 a.m. ET, and -- excluding injured players -- they will need to cut six more than they already have.

Starters Chris Tillman, Miguel Gonzalez and Wei-Yin Chen could be excluded from Friday's game and added for the AL Division Series against the Yankees if the Orioles advance, potentially clearing spots for more relievers, such as Jake Arrieta and Zach Britton behind starter Joe Saunders. Steve Tolleson, Omar Quintanilla and Lew Ford are also considered on the bubble.

"You try to prepare for as many situations as possible and you look at your lineup, as far as position players and what you would actually do," manager Buck Showalter said. "It's like when someone says it's not necessarily about pitching, it's about pitching. Usually, the team that pitches the best wins those games.

"You'll see us err on the side of pitching."

Following Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Rays in St. Petersburg, the Orioles left four players behind for the fall instructional league in nearby Sarasota, Fla.: Dylan Bundy, Luis Exposito, Bill Hall and Zach Phillips. Outfielder L.J. Hoes was sent to the instructional league earlier in the week, and Steve Pearce was ineligible for the postseason roster because he was acquired too late in the season.